WINSTED >> Karen Beadle, chairman of the Charter Revision Committee, said that she thinks Winsted has a very strong chance of turning things around. This committee, she said, can play a part in that. The charter revision board, which is discussing a few major changes, held a public hearing Tuesday night to hear what locals thought of the possible charter augmentations.

“When we take all these negative circumstances that we’ve been dealt, I saw this as an opportunity where we can turn a corner,” Beadle said.

The board has been kicking around several ideas: the most pertinent of which is establishing a Board of Finance, something nearly every surrounding town and city in the area has. How the finance board would interact with the town manager, selectmen and other boards is still something the committee will need to decide on, as is whether the board would be elected, appointed, or a hybrid board composed of a combination of the two.

Resident Thomas Bowles said that Winsted’s negative image is the biggest issue in town and that changing it a way to bring in business and industry.

Advertisement

“We either grow as a community or we die,” Bowles said. “I think the most important thing we have to look at ourselves, is our image.”

Steve Sedlack echoed a similar sentiment.

“I think in this town there’s a negative climate that’s existed for a while,” he said. Sedlack also talked about good people not stepping forward to serve on boards. Of the overall revision, he advised the board to “take your time, do it well and the voters will support you.”

Second Selectman Candy Perez said that implementing a board of finance could significantly alter the way the town does business. Perez also suggested changing the title of mayor to chairman of the board, or something similar, given that the moniker causes some confusion both inside and outside town as to the mayor’s duties and influence.

Other possible changes brought up by the public were altering the referendum system and decreasing the membership of the board of selectmen, something Perez mentioned at a past selectmen’s meeting.

The board had previously discussed increasing the Planning & Zoning Commission membership to nine members instead of five,

Expanding the zoning board to nine or seven regular members might eliminate “some of the political nonsense,” according to charter revision member Michael Renzullo. The board currently has five regular members and three alternates. The charter board would likely eliminate alternate positions if the board was expanded.

“We have our work cut out for us,” Beadle said.

Increasing the amount that the town can authorize to spend prior to an item going out to bid had been discussed at previous meetings as had the idea to require the purchasing director position report to the town manager rather than the finance director. Beadle said previously that before the board wouldn’t seriously discuss any issues until holding this public hearing. Now, these discussions can begin in earnest.